SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 24: Three-time MLA and senior labour leader Arup Chatterjee has been elected as the new president of the Central Industrial Trade Union (CITU) Jharkhand chapter.
Vishwajit Dev has been elected general secretary, while Pratik Mishra has taken charge as treasurer. The selections were made during the three-day state conference of CITU, which concluded on Sunday evening.
Along with the top office bearers, a 43-member state committee and 70 general council members were also chosen to support the organisation’s activities across the state.
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Chatterjee’s Track Record in Labour Negotiations
Arup Chatterjee, who also represents Nirsa as MLA for the third time, has a long association with labour movements. He previously served as general secretary of the influential Bihar Colliery Kamgar Union (BCKU) and played a key role as a member of the Joint Bipartite Committee for the Coal Industry (JBCCI) during the negotiation of the National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA)-XI.
Despite sharp differences among the five central trade unions and the firm stance taken by Coal India Limited (CIL) management, Chatterjee is credited with successfully bringing all sides to the negotiation table.
Priorities and Challenges Ahead
Speaking after his election, Chatterjee said that the implementation of the Four Labour Codes poses new challenges to the trade union movement. His focus, he added, will be to mobilise workers against policies that weaken their rights and protections.
He also emphasized expanding CITU’s presence across the state and strengthening all 41 affiliated unions under its umbrella.
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Leaders Welcome Leadership Change
Leaders from national trade unions have welcomed Chatterjee’s elevation. Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) secretary A. K. Jha said that the trade union movement is currently passing through a difficult phase due to what he termed as flawed policies of the BJP-led central government.
“We hope Arup Chatterjee will play a crucial role in strengthening the Joint Front’s struggle,” Jha said.
